Nigeria’s Patricia Mbata flattens renowned Gramane, Roumaysia beats rival Mouttaki as defending featherweight champ Keamogetse Kenosi of Botswana is sent packing and Ghana maintains chase for the top spot.
These are some of the highlights in the first semi-finals of the African Games boxing tournament at the Bukom Arena in Accra, Ghana on Wednesday (March 20).
Mozambican southpaw Rady Gramane was totally overwhelmed by the ambitious Nigerian Patricia Mbata who avenged the defeat she suffered to Gramane in last year’s Africa Championships middleweight final.
Mbata beat Gramane to the punch enroute to this major upset points victory.
She subjected Gramane to two standing counts in the third round in which the renowned Mozambican boxer looked ordinary with the bullish Mbata even dropping her guard and inviting her subdued opponent to attack.
Patricia Mbata is declared winner in women’s 75 kg semi final
Mbata’s opponent in the final is Tunisia’s Molka Mabrouk who received a bye.
In addition to Mbata, four other Nigerians powered their way to the finals. Flyweight Zainab Adeshina outpointed Liberia’s Zinna Fanhbulleh, featherweight Joy Ojo Nene beat 2019 African Games lightweight champion Hlimi Khouloud of Tunisia, Paris-bound Dolapo Omole saw off Zambia’s featherweight Albert Ngulube and Africa heavyweight champion Adam Olaore beat Egypt’s Ali Elsamany 5-0.
Ghana is also still in the race with two of their boxers, minimumweight Mohammed Aryeetey and lightweight Joseph Commey, cruising to the finals while female minimumweight Janet Acquah was eliminated and wins bronze. Four Ghanaians, flyweight Theo Allotey, bantamweight Amadu Mohammed, Olympic bronze medallist Samuel Takyi and cruiserweight Abubakar Kamoko are in action today.
The highly anticipated light-flyweight semi-final encounter between Morocco’s world bronze medallist Yasmine Mouttaki and Algeria’s celebrated boxer Roumaysa Boualam ended in the latters favour but lacked the expected fireworks and quality boxing with both world class boxers resorting to a boring brawling match. It was their fifth meeting with the Algerian on top now with three wins while Mouttaki has beaten Roumaysa twice.
Botswana’s 2019 African Games featherweight champion Keamogetse Kenosi returns home with a bronze after losing to Algeria’s Chahira Selmouni. She’s Botswana’s sole medallist in Accra following the controversial defeat of bantamweight George Molwantwa in the quarters to Morocco’s Imad Azoui. Fans booed the decision to express their disgust in what they felt was a unanimous win for Molwantwa. Botswana finished second behind Morocco at the 2019 African Games.
Lots of thrilling bouts are expected in tonight’s semi-finals key among them: flyweight Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba vs Ghana’s Theo Allotey, female lightweight Nigeria’s Cynthia Ogunsemilore vs Algeria’s Hadjila Khelif, light-welterweight Ghana’s Samuel Takyi vs South Africa’s John Paul Masamba, Algeria’s Jugurtha Ait Bekka vs Zambia’s Emmanuel Katema, light-heavyweight Tanzania’s Yusuf Changalawe vs DR Congo’s Pita Kabeji and super-heavyweight Nigeria’s Ifeanyi Onyekwere vs Senegal’s Diarga Balde.
Credit: AFBC Communication
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